Bike Hugger 

Sock action shot 1

Our new-for-Spring 12, super-stylin’, and comfy socks. Custom made for us in the USA by Hincapie Sports with an ingenious blend of fabrics to keep active feet dry, comfortable, and cool. Available now on Amazon.com for $9.99.

Sock action shot 2

A Sole Stretch Cuff™ provides a protective and gentle barrier; Core-spun Coolmax® and nylon support and protect the skin while wicking away moisture; and the. Rosso Extra Smooth looped toe seam creates incredible durability.

Illustrator file version!

When we were in Amsterdam for FITC, painted bikes with a crazy paint scheme and left them behind. Here’s one of them. Wonder where the rest are.

C215’s photo reminded me of that project. Street art and bikes.

Uploaded by C215 | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Thomas Porter makes freak bikes, but prefers to call them new, splendid forms. Does freestyle tricks on them too.

Made one that’s a lectern, so you can ride to your local cafe and give a lecture.

Viewer Discretion is Advised

Also see Porter’s NSFW collaboration with Andrew H. Shirley on F Bike #001.

Not our thing at all, but you can find more bike pr0n with the Google.

From artist Seo Young Deok, a series of busts made from bicycle chains.

Photos: Seo Young Deok

Bottom brackets are like America’s waistline, they keep getting bigger and wider

@sgluckman showed up for Sunday’s Green River Killer ride with some new kit, an EVO BB with K-Force crank. I spotted the massive bearings and he said “…noticed the difference immediately. The bike is zoomier and responsive.” Like a set of fast wheels, EVO is a worthwhile upgrade to consider for your bike. Is it “yet another BB standard?” Sort of, I asked Mark and he replied

BB386EVO is like a BB30 crank with a wider spindle but same Q-factor. It’s a crank that fits BB30 (direct-fit or PressFit) frames with a spacer on each side, but it can also fit regular English-threaded BB with threaded external bearing BB cups. It’s one, light, stiff crank that’ll fit the majority of BB standards out there.

Standards in this industry amount to more than one manufacturer making something. When a mechanic asks if you measured your bars “center to center, inside to inside, or outside to outside,” you’ll know what I mean. EVO gets you a stiffer crank and fits your current bike. The next standard will come along after you’ve worn out the EVO chain rings and you can consider what to do then. For now, if you want a quicker bike, we recommend it. Ask your local bike shop about EVO and the cost. For more on EVO v. BB30, see this comment thread, where I ask Mark who are the assholes changing BB standards all the time?

Pressfit BB30 welded to Feathertec tubing

In a jig at Davidson Handbuilt Bicycles is our latest project bike. Davidson’s frame shop is just north of Pike Place Market; that place where they throw fish and buskers play street music. The bike is called the D-Plus because of all the +1s the build has. We’ll get into the plusses later, after the Seattle Bike Expo, the first rides, and into the 12 Cross season.

Is that a gigantic head tube or is this bike just happy to see you?

For now, the most interesting details include

• Press-fit Ti BB30 – available for about a year, this is the first Davidson built with BB30
• FeatherTec tubing – custom profiles, OS tubes
• Headtube for King Inset 7 – 44M for tapered steerers
• Paragon SS dropouts with a derailed hanger – swappable from SS, fixed, to geared.

A bong-sized BB, massive John Holmes head tube, and over-sized, thin-walled Ti tubing means a bike so stiff, it’s gonna hurt. Also with the ride qualities expected from Ti and carbon weights too.

The bike is tacked together now and next week, Max Kullaway will weld it. His welds are the best I’ve ever seen.

An evolution of the Modal concept to Cross

Seattle’s best welder

The story of a Bike

We’re sharing the build on G+ with feature follow-ups here by Mark V, who developed and designed the concept with Bill D, a master builder.

At the Cascade Bicycle Studio opening reception, a Sycip Commuter stole the show.

DJ’ing next to a wall of Focus, Seven, and Parlees

Sycip commuter in spray-tan bronze

See more high-rez photos on +Bike Hugger’s.

On rollers too

I attended the Major Taylor Project Spin-a-thon yesterday afternoon at the West Seattle All Star Fitness. Cyclists spun to raise funds to get inner cities kids on bikes. They all had a good time too.

MTP is a year-round, youth development cycling program produced by the Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation, integrating bicycling, healthy living, bicycle maintenance, road safety awareness, and the importance of working toward individual goals.

Seattle has a very diverse zip code and once MTP participants, get their bikes, they set goals like riding from Seattle to Portland.

Priscilla & Melissa rocking it

At the end of the 3-hour spin cycle, they raised $14K and expect to hit well over 15K with matching donations.

Spinning hard, fast, and raising cash

More photos on our +Bike Hugger G+ page and in our Flickr photo stream.

The Drama Llama says, at the beginning of Social Cycling ATX’s rides

Follow me, Bro.

and we shall, in a few weeks during the Mobile Socials.

Drama Lama was drawn by Janis Fowler, Aeryn Nutt, and Sarah Whadford.

These Velocity eyeball rims could go on a cool Allan Parsons Project-themed bike: an Eye in the Sky bike.

If Prog-rock wasn’t your thing, could go with Dio Evil Eyes tribute bike as well. Having written this now, wonder WTF bike these would go on and do hope to see it. An ironic, fixie maybe?